The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group will return to its homeport of San Diego on Thursday, concluding a 10-month deployment to the Middle East where it played a key role in the war with Iran and set a new record of 265 days in between ports of call.
In all, the ship will have spent 321 days on deployment, the second-longest since the end of the Cold War. The longest deployment was set earlier this year when the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford returned from a 326-day deployment to Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Lincoln on Wednesday ahead of its return home and praised the ship’s crew for its resilience and dedication during the lengthy deployment.
POOL via ABC News – PHOTO: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks while aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Oct. 7, 2026.
Hegseth told sailors gathered on the carrier’s flight deck that he had extended their deployment twice — in recent years typical carrier strike deployments have lasted seven months.
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“I plead guilty, A., because of the incredible effectiveness that you showcased on the battlefield and the necessity. But also B., the mission required it, and C., because President Trump had full faith that you would deliver on behalf of the American people, and you did” he, added.
“What the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group did, no other carrier strike group has ever done,” Hegseth said, listing its accomplishments: “10,000 sorties, 23,000 combat flight hours, almost 4,000 combat sorties, 1.5 million pounds of ordinance dropped on the enemy,” to cheers from sailors.
The aircraft assigned to the carrier had returned to their home bases in California and Washington state earlier in the week.
The Lincoln’s crew suffered from supply disruptions caused by the start of the war that impacted food stocks and the long deployment led to reports that the crew’s mental health was suffering.
The Navy has reported that there were eight suicide attempts aboard the carrier during the deployment, including one sailor who jumped overboard and was later rescued.
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That figure that appears to be on the lower end of what is experienced during carrier deployments, according to a U.S. official.
“There were a few folks in the media who tried to turn the USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol,” Hegesth said. “A symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale, or a symbol of a failed mission. And what I look out right here or when I talk to your leadership, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to a number of you, I know it’s the exact opposite.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, Hegseth announced that the Lincoln carrier strike group was being awarded the prestigious Presidential Unit Citation, an award for distinction given to military units.
When he read the citation to the crew, he disclosed more statistics about the carrier group’s air operations against Iran that have not previously been disclosed.
Valerie Lynn Maigue/U.S. Navy – PHOTO: Harbor tug boats guide Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as the ship pulls into Naval Base Guam, Dec. 11, 2025.
That included: 3,693 combat sorties, 1.37 million pounds of ordnance dropped on Iranian targets, the launching of 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles by warships accompanying the carrier, the shoot-down of 77 Iranian one-way attack drones and 21 anti-ship cruise missiles, the defense against four fast-attack craft and explosive-carrying dhows, and helping with the sinking of 64 Iranian warships.
Navy officials have said that the Lincoln’s deployment has helped them make quality of life improvements for future lengthy carrier deployments, including that of the USS Theodore Roosevelt which left San Diego a week ago bound for the Middle East.
“Roosevelt is maximizing its load-out of food, retail products and hygiene items before getting underway,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Chief of Naval Operations, said in a recently released video.
“The crew is converting available spaces into additional storage, building the ability to remain self-sufficient for longer periods, especially when resupply may be difficult,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman.
And quality of life is a focus with new entertainment equipment available to sailors. as well as more durable fitness equipmen. and spare cardio machines.
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The carrier’s systems are also being upgraded with software updates and instructions, and being pre-staged aboard the ship,” allowing the crew to keep critical services running even when bandwidth is limited or the ship is operating in a degraded condition,” Caudle said.
Improvements have also been made to climate control systems and a specialized team will be on board to inspect and optimize those systems, Perryman said.
And improvements are being made to keep families informed about the deployment.
“As one carrier returns home, we listen to its sailors and families. We capture what worked and what didn’t, and we make it better the next time,” Prettyman said. “To the Lincoln team, thank you for what you accomplished and for what you taught us, and to the Roosevelt team, we’re doing everything we can to make sure you are ready for the mission. You and your families.”
This article originally appeared on ABC News at https://abcnews.com/Politics/hegseth-greets-uss-abraham-lincoln-end-record-long/story?id=137067054